---
Toneri's doubts at this moment came from the depths of his heart.
Just seconds ago, his final thought had been to die together with Naruto and complete what he believed to be Hamura's will. Yet, Naruto had sealed him—cutting him off from his Chakra completely.
Toneri's heart trembled. What kind of seal was that? How could Naruto know to prevent me from activating my final technique?
What shocked him even more was how Naruto had known about the possibility of moving the moon itself. That knowledge was supposed to be hidden within the Ōtsutsuki clan, passed down only to those chosen to carry the destiny of Hamura.
As these doubts swirled in Toneri's mind, his chest tightened. Naruto's words echoed louder: Could it be… everything I believed… was wrong?
Naruto stood calmly, staring down at him. With a soft sigh, he said:
"Why is it that people like you always have to be defeated before you're willing to listen? In this regard, Toneri, you really are a lot like my brother, Sasuke."
And as if summoned by fate, Sasuke appeared. His massive Susanoo descended from above, wings spread like a giant shadow.
"Naruto," Sasuke called, his voice calm but firm, "it's over."
Naruto nodded, stretching his shoulders as though a great burden had just been lifted. "Yeah. He's finished."
Sasuke's gaze shifted to Toneri. His Mangekyō Sharingan glowed with a quiet intensity. "What do we do with him? Kill him?" His voice carried an edge. "If it were me… he'd already be dead. Anyone who dares lay a hand on Hinata deserves nothing less."
Naruto waved his hand dismissively. "If I intended to kill him, I wouldn't have gone through all that trouble. There's another way. Somewhere I need to take him… where he'll understand everything."
With that, Naruto grabbed Toneri by the collar, lifted his battered body, and leapt into Sasuke's Susanoo. He pointed the way, and Sasuke, with a small grunt of acknowledgment, propelled Susanoo into the sky, flying toward a different place.
A place hidden in ruins.
---
They landed at the entrance of a vast underground structure. The air was heavy, and Toneri suddenly froze, his expression unsettled.
"This… this place…" he whispered. He could feel it—a familiar Chakra, ancient and solemn.
Naruto's eyes softened. "Don't you have eyes? When you step inside, you'll see for yourself."
Together, they descended into the ruins. The deeper they went, the colder it became, until finally the air was thick with the sensation of death. Sasuke's Sharingan narrowed sharply as his gaze swept across the vast underground chamber.
Everywhere he looked, there were graves. Dozens, hundreds… the tombs of an entire people.
Naruto cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted: "Hey! Are the survivors here?"
A moment of silence. Then, from the shadows, an old man appeared. His eyes… were empty sockets.
"Ahhh," the old man rasped, voice trembling with age, "the sinful branch house… the ones who sacrificed themselves."
Toneri's entire body shook violently. "That voice… you… you're…" His knees trembled.
The elder spat out a glowing sphere of light from his mouth. The orb floated upward, then blossomed into dazzling radiance.
In that brilliance, the truth unfolded before them.
What Hinata had once seen was now made clear to Sasuke and Naruto as well:
The branch house of the Ōtsutsuki clan had misunderstood Hamura's will. They had twisted his destiny, weaponized the Tenseigan, and in doing so had led their people to ruin.
One by one, the graves shimmered with light. From each rose the ghostly figure of a fallen Ōtsutsuki. The clan leader appeared first, dropping to his knees. Behind him, countless others followed, kneeling in unison.
And then—an overwhelming presence stepped forward.
Hamura Ōtsutsuki himself.
Toneri gasped, his eyes wide with horror and awe. His legs buckled, and he fell to his knees.
"Toneri," one of the spirits commanded, "pay homage to our ancestor—Lord Hamura!"
Hamura's gaze swept coldly across Toneri, disappointment radiating from his spectral form.
"My descendants… you fools. The branch house has misinterpreted my destiny! Do you even realize? You nearly destroyed the world my elder brother Hagoromo created!"
Toneri's face went pale. His lips trembled. The weight of Hamura's words crushed his pride into dust.
At that moment, he truly believed Naruto. Everything he had stood for until now collapsed around him.
So it was true. Hamura's will was never to destroy the Earth… but to protect it.
Toneri bowed deeply, pressing his forehead to the ground. His voice cracked as he shouted: "I was wrong! Ancestor Hamura, I have sinned! Please… punish me!"
Hamura's gaze softened slightly. "Your intentions were not evil, Toneri… only misguided."
The sage turned his attention to Naruto and Sasuke, his expression shifting into a faint smile.
"You carry my elder brother's Chakra."
Naruto smiled knowingly. "Sasuke and I… we're the reincarnations of his sons, Asura and Indra."
Hamura nodded. "I see… My brother would be proud. But listen carefully. There are enemies beyond the stars. You must be prepared."
Naruto stiffened. His expression grew solemn. Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
Hamura gestured toward Toneri. "He is still one of my descendants. Despite his sins, he carries knowledge that even you two do not possess. The moon itself… is not merely a prison or a weapon. It is an instrument. A probe, capable of peering into the depths of the universe."
Naruto's brows furrowed. "You mean… the moon can be used to detect others? To see across the stars?"
Hamura nodded. "Exactly. The Tenseigan does not only unleash destructive power—it allows one to connect the moon's core with the heavens, scanning the cosmos for signs of life. That is why Hagoromo and I built it this way. To protect the Earth… not to destroy it."
Naruto inhaled sharply. The Sage of Six Paths truly had thought of everything.
Even in his previous life, Naruto had never known this truth.
In fact, it wasn't his fault. Toneri had indeed used the Tenseigan to detect enemies from beyond the stars. But when Urashiki Ōtsutsuki had arrived, he had frozen Toneri in time, preventing him from warning or aiding Earth.
That was why, during the great battle against the Ōtsutsuki clan, Toneri had never appeared.
Toneri clenched his fists, bowing lower before Hamura's spirit. "I understand now! I will dedicate myself to protecting the world created by Hagoromo and Hamura! I will not betray our destiny again!"
Hamura's stern expression softened, satisfaction flickering in his eyes. He turned to Naruto. "Since fate has given you another chance, Naruto Uzumaki… don't waste it. Don't leave behind regrets."
Naruto's eyes widened. He understood immediately. Hamura knew. He could sense it in Naruto's soul—that he had been reborn.
Naruto's jaw tightened, but he nodded firmly. "I won't."
With a final smile, Hamura and the rest of the clan's spirits dissolved into glowing motes of light, fading into eternity.
Silence returned to the ruins.
Naruto extended a hand, pulling Toneri up from the ground. "Now you understand, don't you?"
Toneri nodded silently. His pride had been shattered. Everything he had believed was nothing but a mistake.
Naruto sighed. He had seen this before—when Madara Uchiha discovered that everything written on the stone tablet had been tampered with by Black Zetsu. When he realized he had been nothing more than a pawn.
The Infinite Tsukuyomi had never been a salvation. It had been the path to Kaguya's revival and the world's destruction.
Madara's entire worldview had crumbled.
Toneri now stood in that same place.
Naruto patted his shoulder lightly. "Come on."
They climbed back into Sasuke's Susanoo and flew toward Toneri's castle.
Inside the grand hall, Toneri led them to the very heart of the structure.
Before them loomed the colossal Tenseigan—the great eye formed from countless Byakugan.
Naruto stared in awe. "So this… this is the Tenseigan."
Sasuke scowled. "All of this… created at the cost of your clan's lives. It reeks of arrogance."
Toneri didn't argue. He merely nodded. "Yes. It was the creation of this very eye that destroyed us."
He stretched out his hand toward the massive eye. "But it can also be used to move the moon itself… and to peer into the depths of the universe."
He turned to Naruto. "Give me your hand."
Naruto placed his hand against Toneri's. Their Chakra linked, flowing into the Tenseigan.
The great eye lit up. The entire moon trembled, shifting, awakening.
Suddenly, the surface of the moon became a giant eye, gazing into the cosmos.
Naruto's vision expanded outward—beyond the atmosphere, through the void of space, further and further. Each leap carried him across light years, his consciousness racing through the stars.
The strain was immense. His body trembled. The sheer drain of Chakra made his head pound. But unlike Toneri, Naruto carried the full might of Kurama inside him. He pressed onward.
And then—he saw them.
Two figures gliding effortlessly through the void.
Naruto's eyes narrowed sharply, recognition striking like a blade to the chest. He would never forget those silhouettes.
Ōtsutsuki Kinshiki.
Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki.
And their direction…
Straight toward Earth.
---
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